New Show at Wheat Penny in Dayton - Dec 18

Yellow Springs Coloring Page

Here's a coloring page for you of the town we live in - color it bright and happy for the season!

    I'm about to hang a show at Wheat Penny Restaurant on Wayne Ave.  They're open M-Sat for scrumptious pizza and a variety of creative tasty fare.  I love to hang my work in restaurants because it is such a good pairing - food and fine art - the restaurant gets new artwork regularly and artists have the opportunity to have their work out in new spaces.  We went to assess the space last night and I'll be bringing in some of my brightest pieces - they have lively colors on the walls.  
 
   I need to express my deep gratitude to each of you and the greater community for purchasing my artwork throughout this year.  This has been my busiest year - 5 shows - plus maintaining my exhibit at Village Artisans Gallery!  I loved opening my home for the Open Studio Tour.  I take part in a few painting groups as time allows and help gather local artist friends in a once-a-month group Monday Morning Artists - it helps to keep us creating.  Thanks to YS Arts Council for supporting artists!

  I also had the opportunity to study in workshops in WC and Oil via the Western Ohio Watercolor Society and the Ohio Plein Air Society.  I've got work in the show at the Springfield Art Museum OPAS show.  I hope to have work accepted into the WOWs exhibit in January.

   happy holidays -  Merry Christmas!

Color and Light - Brush and Needle at the Winds Cafe

I will have watercolor paintings and Pam will have her art quilts at the Winds Cafe in Yellow Springs.  It is a great place to hang an art exhibit - and wonderful spot to dine.  I am truly grateful to have the opportunity every other year to hang my work there....many thanks to Mary Kay and crew for their TLC!

 The Winds Cafe has a superb wine selection, local beers, etc  and a seasonal menu with old favorites always available.  

Hope you can come to see our joint art exhibit!  I'm debating whether to do a mini-workshop during the show some morning and winding up at the Winds for lunch!  will keep you posted... : )

Art show at the Winds Cafe - Thoughts onTeaching

May and June, I will host a show at the Winds Cafe in Yellow Springs for the months of May and June with friend and artist Pam Geisel.  We're working on a title...Color and Light - Brush and Needle.  Pam creates art quilts and I mainly work in watercolor.  I am musing, dreaming up my next paintings to include, exploring themes....

    I've been painting my whole life but concentrating on it for about 15 years.  Yesterday, I taught a private lesson and thoroughly enjoyed working with an artist to help her realize her vision.  So often, watercolor is difficult for artists because they fear to make a mistake.  They often use tiny amounts of paint and great quantities of water.
 
   There are certain skills that will help along the path to a successful painting such as wet-into-wet painting but paying attention to the timing and wetness of the paper....  If you don't have sufficient pigment on your brush, the color will simply disappear as it dries.  Of course you can continue to glaze or add layers.  I think I helped her paint more freely and wield the brush more assertively.

   I truly love to help inspire confidence, freeing people from inhibition of the creative process.  Here is a photo from a mini-workshop I taught last winter - helping people go wild w/color!  Joy  Joy Joy

Tecumseh Land Trust 25/25 Exhibit at the Winds Cafe July thru August

July 12th, 25/25 Art Exhibition, Opening at the Winds Cafe,                                                       4:00 - 6:00 p.m. with a reading at 5pm by Bill Felker, nature writer (Poor Wills Almanac)

Please join us for the opening of TLT's exciting 25/25 Art Exhibition at the Winds, featuring some of Ohio's best landscape artists.  Help us celebrate TLT's 25th anniversary and the preservation of 25,000 acres of farmland, forests, meadows and river corridors!!  Much of this gorgeous art work was created on preserved properties.  The art will be for sale, with proceeds shared by the artists and TLT.  

It will be a glorious show!   please come visit - - - - 

From TLT site -  Founded in 1990 by citizens in Yellow Springs and Miami township, Tecumseh Land Trust is a nonprofit conservation organization serving Greene and Clark Counties of Ohio and surrounding areas. The purpose of Tecumseh Land Trust is to preserve agricultural land, natural areas, water resources, and historic sites, in voluntary cooperation with landowners, and to educate the public about permanent land preservation. We assist landowners in navigating state and federal easement programs, as well as, accept donated easements on farmland and natural areas.  When current Projects are complete, we will have preserved over 24,000 acres in our working area.

Winds Cafe - Watercolors: Color and Light

Twenty percent of the proceeds from any sales of paintings in my Winds Cafe exhibit Watercolors:Color and Light will go to Dayton Children's Hospital in honor of Vanessa and all others who fight cancer.  The show will be up through May, hope you can come by!

  

Here's a photo my buddy Theresa took of me setting up the sign for the reception- which was packed by the way.  So many people to talk to, such good wine at the Winds, etc.

Fred Graff Workshop and farewell to Honey Biz

almost finished painting - 'Blooms in the Sun'

The Winds show is up through May 2014!  I will be swapping out paintings occasionally as they sell or when I finish one I'd like to share.  The piece above is now the Fairborn Art Association show, hanging through May 19.

I'm working on new pieces- mostly drawing from my archives of photos...Last night, I 'surrendered' the painting "Honey Biz" to it's new owner.  I know he will treasure it but I miss it already.  He bought it on layaway - a monthly payment.  That enabled me to put it in the Western Ohio Watercolor show where it won a ribbon...and hang it in my own house for another 2 months...

On to the next adventure in painting, right?  In a week, I will be in a workshop  Fred Graff AWS. NWS TWSA -  all organizations that I intend to belong to one day.  I've taken a Plein-air workshop with Fred - enjoyed it immensely!  Can't wait!!!
http://www.fredgraff.com/html/workshops.html

Little Miami - 30x30  $600.00    SOLD!

Reception this Sunday for the exhibition - hoping the weather is fine and folks will be strolling in, hungry for a watercolor filled with color/light....and for the cookies I'm baking right this moment!  

Yipes - time to pull them out...

Reception at the Winds Cafe in 
Yellow Springs,OH
Sunday, March 30        4-6pm

Come make a flower for the group collage in honor of Vanessa and those who are or have fought cancer...

love,
Libby

'Garden of Hope' invitational collage

Winds Show now up thru April

'Kayakers'

Here is "Kayakers"which is currently up at the Winds Cafe.  I made a similar painting that my brother Dan'l has since he is an avid kayaker!  I think I painted this after taking a workshop with Frank Francese who encouraged us to use our paints with abandon, paint freely and with expression.  He advocates using small areas of key colors to excite the eye.    He lays in the shadows with a violet color which is very effective for bright sunny days...
  The kids have already used our kayak to go out on the Little Miami River which we usually don't get to do until May at least!  hmmm - what am I doing on the computer when I should be painting or out kayaking?

Lunar Dance - at the Winds

When next you come to Yellow Springs, be sure to visit the back corner of the main dining room of the Winds where you will find "Lunar Dance".  I paintied it in a loose style with the moon and clouds dancing in the sky and water.  I think this painting has a sprinkling of Chesapeake Bay, Lago di Como, Ceasars Creek and somewhere in California - many waters ...  You never know what will flow from may paintbrush!



Lunar Dance - watercolor
22x27 - $400

 The show is up until Sunday, April 1.  I just received a commission so life is marvelous!

Paintings at the Winds Cafe - landscapes,cats,portraits

 Here's a little painting that is reminiscent of the waters of Asilomar, CA where we played in the sea .  The trip was a graduation present for our daughter.  She wanted mountains and ocean for her gift...somehow much better, I think, than jewels or clothes. 

  I like the quote from Gertrude Stein that I found in the book I'm reading just now... 'The Paris Wife' about Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley.  Stein says that "People should buy pictures instead of clothes."  Gertrude assembled a cadre of writers and artists for her 'salons and acquired a large collection of now-famous paintings.

Who are the Gertrude Steins of our region and time?

If you didn't get to the opening, please come by the Winds Cafe any day but mondays through Sunday, April 1.

Paintings at the Winds...Reception this sunday!

River Play

Here is a painting that I love for its sweet simple joy...I've donated it to the Antioch School "Julia Sweeney" Gala and auction, happening on March 24... I hope people will bid on it.
Please come to the reception at the Winds this sunday! 4:30-6:30.

More painting preview for the Winds show!



Here is the painting 'View from my Window' that isalso going to be in the Winds Cafe in Yellow Springs March 6-April 1.  It is in a competition which isn't to be decided until April so it can not be sold presently. I will make a little print for the show.
 

'View from my Window'

 Winds Cafe, Bakery and Wine store- a lovely spot to dine and---- local artwork!

Paintings at the Winds Cafe - March

Still framing, etc. for hanging my show this coming sunday!  Here's another preview of what will be on the wall soon....
This is the Grinnell Mill here in Yellow Springs, which is being run as a Bed and Breakfast. It was lovingly restored primarily by private donations.  This painting is being framed right after I get off this computer... : )

Grinnell Mill

Working, getting frames together, etc...for the Winds show!

Working toward a show can be exhausting but also exhilating!  I am currently painting joy if such a thing can be done...we'll see. 

I will have a show at the Winds Cafe and Bakery here in Yellow Springs for the month of March.  This time, I elected to show with a friend, Jennifer O'Brien, who I know through Western Ohio Watercolor Society.  We hope to do a reception on Sunday, March 11.

Yellow Springs - a lively little town!

Cool stuff happening in Y.S. - I thought about offering a class but am busy painting/being Mom/watching YSKP/travelling.  I hope folks will stray into the Winds too to see my show - I'm not doing a big event that will make it into the news/flyers but, hey - I'm still showing!  come on by...here's Kayak crossing.

Publicity stuff

Ok OK
time to PUBLISIZE!!! Here's the card I'm making up for the show to be on the table at the Winds...spread about town, etc.  I should probably put the blog info on it, eh?

a Show at the Winds in June and July

Well - here we go...the nuts off the go-cart...as Grama Lil would say.
I will put up a show of Watercolor paintings at the Winds Cafe in Yellow Springs for the months of June and July. Artist Reception/meet n greet n eat is Sunday, June 13 from 6-8pm.